SOUTHERN ANTARCTIC REALMS

ITINERARY SUMMARY

Douglas Mawson

Setting sail in 2025, the Douglas Mawson is a new state-of-the-art ship and the last in a line of purpose-built vessels that have redefined small ship expedition cruising. Named after the legendary Australian geologist and explorer, this new small ship embodies Mawson’s pioneering spirit and is designed for global discovery. The Douglas Mawson features a host of amenities to help you connect with like-minded travellers and elevate your time onboard, including a heated outdoor swimming pool, sun beds, two Jacuzzis, a gym, a sauna, and two restaurants. Relax in comfort in the observation lounges while you keep watch for wildlife or incredible landscapes that unfold before you.

Arrive in Ushuaia, where you will be met by a representative of Aurora Expeditions and transferred to your pre-voyage hotel. If you are already in Ushuaia, make your way to your hotel. Collect your luggage tags, and confirm if you wish to join the Lake Escondido pre-embarkation tour on Day 2. The expedition team will confirm details regarding your embarkation day, answer any questions and provide you with information on where to dine or purchase last minute items. The remainder of your time is at leisure. All meals on Day 1 are at your own expense.

The next morning, enjoy breakfast and check-out. Your luggage will be stored and transferred directly to the port for clearance, to be placed in your cabin ahead of your arrival on board.

Those wishing to join the Lake Escondido tour today, please meet in the hotel lobby at 8.45 am. This tour offers us an unforgettable panoramic drive through big valleys of glacial origin, evergreen and deciduous forests, waterfalls and rivers, in the vastness of the Andes Mountain Range.

Alternatively, enjoy your day at leisure and be transferred to the pier for embarkation. Once onboard, settle into your cabin before the mandatory briefings. As the ship pulls away from port, gather on the deck to commence your adventure with spectacular views over Ushuaia and Tierra del Fuego. This evening, get to know your fellow expeditioners and friendly expedition team at a welcome dinner.

Commence the Drake Passage crossing and make the most of your time getting comfortable with the motions of the sea. Your expedition team will prepare you for your first landing with important wildlife guidelines and biosecurity procedures. They will also start the onboard lecture program to help you learn more about Antarctica’s history, wildlife and environment.

Watch and photograph the many seabirds that follow your ship, including majestic albatrosses and giant petrels. Enjoy the onboard facilities including the gym, wellness centre and observation lounges.

You will near the South Shetland Islands and the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula on the afternoon of Day 4. Head out onto one of the observation decks to watch for the first iceberg. The ocean takes on a whole new perspective once you are below the Antarctic Convergence and are surrounded by the surreal presence of floating ice sculptures.

The feeling of arriving in Antarctica will stay with you forever. Your experienced expedition team, who have made countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to design your voyage from day to day, choosing the best options based on the weather, ice conditions and wildlife opportunities. The waters at this time of year are rich with krill so hope to see plenty of whales – particularly humpbacks and minkes.

This voyage attempts to explore the remotest and wildest parts of a region that in and of itself is already arguably one of the remotest regions on Earth. Approach and attempt to cross the Antarctic Circle, an imaginary line at latitude of 66° 33’ south. You will notice subtle changes in the landscape, and also in the distribution of wildlife. Venturing below the Antarctic Circle is a chance to enter a different world that is rarely seen with great swathes of pack ice and dream-like icebergs. Look for whales fattening up on krill, leopard seals patrolling the waters for vulnerable penguins and snow petrels soaring above.

Sail north to the Weddell Sea on the eastern side of the peninsula. Along the way, visit some favourite places around the Antarctic Peninsula, exploring coastlines by Zodiac, landing on beaches where fur seals frolic and fledging penguins are taking to the waters for the first time. Hope for favourable weather and ice conditions as you approach the Antarctic Sound to grant the ship entry to its frozen realm. The Weddell Gyre pushes enormous amounts of ice from the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf up towards the area near Antarctic Sound, blocking the entrance to the Weddell Sea, but a visit to the region has numerous rewards. This region is central to the story of where Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship, the Endurance became trapped in formidable sea ice.

Gigantic icebergs, the size of skyscrapers, dwarf Zodiacs as you attempt to push through seemingly impenetrable sea ice to land on remote beaches where ancient fossils can be found. The abundant ice attracts ice seals such as crabeater, leopard and Weddell seals, which all breed and birth on sea ice. It also boasts a large Adélie penguin colony, some of which breed on the rocky slopes of a small volcanic island, where a large colony of Antarctic blue-eyed shags jostle for space with nest-building Wilson’s storm petrels.

You will generally make landings or Zodiac excursions twice a day. Rug up before joining Zodiac cruises along spectacular ice cliffs or among grounded icebergs, keeping watch for whales, seals and porpoising penguins. Zodiacs will also transport you from the ship to land, where you can visit penguin rookeries, discover historic huts and explore some favourite spots along the peninsula and in the Weddell Sea region.

While ashore, stretch your legs by wandering along pebbly beaches or perhaps up snow-covered ridgelines to vantage points with mountains towering overhead and ice-speckled oceans below. If you have chosen an optional activity, you’ll have the option to do that whenever conditions allow, and of course keen polar plungers will have the chance to fully immerse themselves in polar waters – conditions permitting!

During the early morning, cruise up the Beagle Channel before quietly slipping into dock in Ushuaia, where you will be free to disembark around 8.00 am. Farewell your expedition team and fellow passengers as you all continue your onward journeys, hopefully with a newfound sense of the immense power of nature.

Extend your trip to Patagonia

To make the most of your time in South America we can tailor a holiday to Patagonia to suit your voyage dates. If you have a bit more time we can create a tailor-made itinerary to some of the highlights of South America. Take a look at some of the Patagonia sample itineraries below and contact us to begin creating your perfect holiday.